All about the ink

Yesterday evening my roommate got her very first tattoo. And I am very jealous.

Her and I have been talking for years about getting tattoos– placement, location, design, pain scales, and she finally took the plunge and got one done. It’s a tree, similar to this one, on her back.

It was pretty intense for her first tattoo, but she took it like a champ. I could tell a few moments here and there were the pain must have been almost unbearable, but she stuck through the 45 minutes at Dead President’s Lounge without so much as hinting for a break.

Now that I’ve seen her get one done, and am more familiar with the place and process, I want one…very badly. I’m not going to say what I want to get because I know some tattoo snob somewhere will have a field day making fun of it. I will say that it’s a phrase and I want it pretty large right on top of my foot.

In that spot it’ll be easy to show off and just as easy to hide, which is perfect. After doing some research, I found out that this just happens to be one of the top five most painful places to get a tattoo…yikes! I’ve asked around and apparently, it’s very true. Obviously, it’s super painful to get a tattoo anywhere on your body where the skin is thin and there’s tons of bones and nerves near the surface. I even heard someone say they had an involuntary muscle spasm and kicked up INTO THE NEEDLE while getting theirs done.

Despite all this, I think I’m going to do it…very soon.

Do you have a tattoo? Tell me everything–placement, pain, what should I do to mentally prepare?! I want all the details and advice I can get!

Kali Zigrino

4 Responses

I have several tattoos covering my thighs. It’s a mix of all types of ideas and things that I’ve seen throughout my lifetime that I enjoy.

Please, please, please… Think long and hard about what you want. It took me several months to upwards of a year to be sure about what I wanted and why I wanted it, with the exception of my first one. Not that I don’t like my first tattoo, it’s something that I wish I had thought longer about. Another way to think of tattoos is that they should represent a period in your life, a feeling, an experience, etc. Make it memorable. The beauty of having tattoos on your upper thighs (as a male), is that generally, no one will see them unless you want to show them. Sometimes people, other than those I want to show, catch a glimpse. Most often I’m asked about them and their purpose. If I want to spare someone the details, I’ll merely say, “… because each and everyday they make me smile.” And that’s the truth.

More about your questions… The upper thigh is generally a ‘meaty’ area. As you move to the hip or the groin regions, it will definitely become more sensitive and painful. The first time that needle touches your skin anywhere, it WILL hurt. After a few minutes, the best way to describe the sensation is a mild annoyance. It’s not entirely painful, but not necessarily pleasant.

Which leads me to another point – getting a tattoo, at least for me, is somewhat therapeutic. I am only offering advice and my own experiences here, please remember that. Setting up an appointment, blocking out a few hours of your day, and then sitting down with an artist who is about to create something beautiful (and permanent) on your skin is highly unique. They get to know you and you get to know a little bit about them as well.

I would say the best way to mentally prepare, is to approach an artist and have them draw out what you want. This may take a long time, don’t expect same day results. If you have to wait several weeks for an artist, that should tell you something about the quality of their work. If you then have to wait even more time to actually get the tattoo, again, that speaks volumes to their abilities. When the artist provides a drawing, sketch, stencil, etc., again, BE PATIENT. Take some time to think it over once you see what actually may go on your body.

Not to promote a certain tattoo parlor over another, but I have had all of my work done at a place on Lark St. (there are at least 2 that I know of, so I’m being fair!). I had to wait over a month for my most recent addition. It was well worth the wait.

Got my first one not too long ago; Gaelic words across my back. There were two spots by my shoulder blades that hurt a little, but other than that it wasn’t bad at all. Besides, if it’s something you want, the pain is deffinately worth it. I can’t wait to get my next one!

I am going to agree with Jason and say make sure it’s meaningful. I regret my first one.

This past summer I got a set of 5 stars (one for each sister, me and my SIL- we all got them) and the names of my three boys in script on my ankle. The ankle was a breeze, mild annoyance is a correct descriptor. The stars on the top of my foot were painful. But it might be me to some extent. Yes there is little skin and a lot of bone, so you certainly feel the vibration of the needle more. For me though, I tend to get foot cramps in the arch of my feet. The angle he held my foot and had to work at caused a cramp the entire time. It was BAD.

To take our mind off our tattoos, he gave each of us a ring pop. Maybe it was the sugar, maybe it was the nostalgia, but it helped. It also helped that my sisters and I chatted while he worked.

The only other comment in regards to the foot is it takes longer to heal. While I could easily wear a sneaker to work the next day, it took a good 2-3 months to be really healed. Comparatively, the words in script on my ankle were healed in about 2 weeks.

I have the top of both of my feet done, and I didn’t think they were that painful at all. For me, getting my ribs done was MUCH more painful than my feet (I have seven total). I just went with a friend to get her first ink, and she got hers on the top of her foot – she said it hurt, but it wasn’t as bad as everyone told her it was going to be.

Now, I’m not going to tell you it’s easy & tickles, but I didn’t think it was that bad. I agree with Jason – I sort of find the whole process therapeutic – I can’t go into a tattoo shop without wanting to feel it. So it’s more about your tolerance level than anything.

The other thing that most people don’t realize before they get a tattoo – and I thought the same thing – you only really feel it when they’re actually touching you with the tattoo gun. I thought it was going to hurt the whole time, but the only real pain is when you’re actually getting tattooed. After that it just feels like an annoying sunburn.

I will, however, specifically endorse one shop, and one artist – Kara at Lark Tattoo is AMAZING. Everyone at Lark does a fantastic job, really, but Kara has a very light hand and is great with understanding if you need a break or something. She is also ridiculously talented & has great vision.

Good luck!!

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